Audit & Quality
Certified Program Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR)
This five-day programme prepares companies and security teams to protect people and operations at the same time, covering the Voluntary Principles framework, human rights risk assessment, security provider due diligence, use of force and engagement, and incident reporting and assurance. Participants develop skills in risk assessment, provider vetting, engagement practice, and assurance reporting.
Introduction
Certified Program Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR) Training Course prepares companies and security teams to protect people and operations at the same time. Participants work through the Voluntary Principles framework, human rights risk assessment, engagement with public and private security providers, use-of-force rules, grievance mechanisms, community engagement, and reporting and assurance as one connected system. The programme links the security a site needs with the rights of the people around it. As a result, learners gain a practical, defensible method for VPSHR implementation. Furthermore, the course strengthens risk judgement, engagement skill, and incident response.
Certified Program Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR) Course Objectives
- Explain the Voluntary Principles, their origin, and their scope.
- Apply international human rights standards relevant to security operations.
- Conduct human rights risk assessment for security contexts.
- Apply due diligence for public and private security providers.
- Apply use-of-force principles and proportionality standards.
- Apply the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms.
- Apply the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights framework.
- Design community engagement and grievance mechanisms.
- Apply incident response, investigation, and reporting duties.
- Apply VPSHR implementation, assurance, and reporting practice.
Course Methodology
- Interactive sessions built on security and human rights case studies.
- Workshops on risk assessment, provider due diligence, and engagement planning.
- Group exercises on use-of-force scenarios, grievances, and incident response.
- Hands-on practice with risk registers, due diligence files, and grievance logs.
- Simulation of a community engagement meeting and an incident review.
- Facilitator coaching and peer review on personal implementation plans.
Who Should Take This Course
- Security managers and site security leads in extractive and industrial sectors.
- Human rights, sustainability, and social performance professionals.
- Legal, compliance, and governance professionals.
- Community relations and stakeholder engagement staff.
- Contract managers overseeing security providers.
- Consultants advising on VPSHR implementation and assurance.
Certified Program Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR) Course Outlines
The Voluntary Principles and Human Rights Context
- • Origin, purpose, and structure of the Voluntary Principles.
- • The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs).
- • International human rights standards relevant to security.
- • State obligations and corporate responsibilities.
- • Sector contexts: extractive, energy, and infrastructure.
- • Reputational, legal, and operational risk of failure.
- • Case discussion: a security incident that harmed a community.
Human Rights Risk Assessment
- • Risk assessment methodology for security and human rights.
- • Context analysis: conflict, governance, and community relations.
- • Identifying risks to people and to operations.
- • Stakeholder mapping and vulnerable group analysis.
- • Building and maintaining a human rights risk register.
- • Escalation thresholds and mitigation planning.
- • Workshop: conducting a human rights risk assessment.
Security Providers and Due Diligence
- • Public security forces and their role at sites.
- • Private security companies and contract structures.
- • Due diligence for security providers and vetting.
- • Contract clauses, memoranda of understanding, and expectations.
- • Training, briefing, and monitoring of security personnel.
- • Screening for past human rights violations.
- • Exercise: completing a security provider due diligence file.
Use of Force, Engagement, and Grievances
- • Use-of-force principles, necessity, and proportionality.
- • The UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms.
- • Rules of engagement and escalation protocols.
- • Detention, search, and property rights considerations.
- • Community engagement and stakeholder dialogue practice.
- • Grievance mechanisms and remedy design.
- • Simulation: responding to an incident and engaging the community.
Reporting, Assurance, and Implementation
- • Incident reporting, investigation, and confidential handling.
- • Reporting to communities, partners, and investors.
- • Governance of VPSHR implementation and accountability.
- • Internal audit, assurance, and third-party assessment.
- • Training programmes and awareness for personnel.
- • Continuous improvement and lessons learned.
- • Capstone: presenting a VPSHR implementation and assurance plan.
Conclusion
By successfully completing Certified Program Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR), participants will gain a practical command of the Voluntary Principles framework, human rights risk assessment, security provider due diligence, use-of-force standards, community engagement and grievance mechanisms, and incident reporting and assurance. They will acquire skills in risk assessment, provider vetting, engagement practice, and assurance reporting that protect both people and operations. Gentex Training Center designs the programme to help professionals implement the Voluntary Principles with confidence.
FAQs
— What is the "Certified Program Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR)" course about?
It prepares companies and security teams to protect people and operations at the same time. The course spans the Voluntary Principles and human rights context, human rights risk assessment, security providers and due diligence, use of force, engagement and grievances, and reporting, assurance and implementation.
— What are the key benefits of the "Certified Program Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR)" course?
You gain a practical, defensible method for VPSHR implementation that links the security a site needs with the rights of the people around it. The course improves risk assessment and provider due diligence, strengthens use-of-force and engagement understanding, sharpens grievance and incident handling, and gives you assurance reporting that stands up to partners and investors.
— What skills will I gain from the "Certified Program Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR)" course?
You will develop four core skills: human rights risk assessment with risk register building, security provider due diligence and contract oversight, use-of-force application with community engagement and grievance handling, and incident reporting with assurance and implementation governance.
— What tools, methods, or standards are covered in the "Certified Program Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR)" course?
The course covers the Voluntary Principles framework, purpose and structure, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), international human rights standards relevant to security, state obligations and corporate responsibilities, sector contexts in extractive, energy and infrastructure, reputational, legal and operational risk, human rights risk assessment methodology, context analysis for conflict, governance and community relations, stakeholder mapping and vulnerable group analysis, human rights risk registers, escalation thresholds and mitigation planning, public security forces and their role, private security companies and contract structures, provider due diligence and vetting, contract clauses and memoranda of understanding, training, briefing and monitoring of security personnel, screening for past human rights violations, use-of-force principles of necessity and proportionality, the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms, rules of engagement and escalation protocols, detention, search and property rights considerations, community engagement and stakeholder dialogue, grievance mechanisms and remedy design, incident reporting, investigation and confidential handling, reporting to communities, partners and investors, governance of implementation and accountability, internal audit and assurance and third-party assessment, and training programmes and continuous improvement.
— How is the "Certified Program Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR)" course applied in real-world practice?
Participants apply it to real work such as conducting a human rights risk assessment for a site, completing due diligence on a private security provider, reviewing contract clauses and rules of engagement, running a community engagement meeting, handling a grievance through to remedy, and preparing an incident report and assurance submission for partners. The same methods support internal audit of VPSHR implementation.
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Introduction
Certified Program Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR) Training Course prepares companies and security teams to protect people and operations at the same time. Participants work through the Voluntary Principles framework, human rights risk assessment, engagement with public and private security providers, use-of-force rules, grievance mechanisms, community engagement, and reporting and assurance as one connected system. The programme links the security a site needs with the rights of the people around it. As a result, learners gain a practical, defensible method for VPSHR implementation. Furthermore, the course strengthens risk judgement, engagement skill, and incident response.
Certified Program Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR) Course Objectives
- Explain the Voluntary Principles, their origin, and their scope.
- Apply international human rights standards relevant to security operations.
- Conduct human rights risk assessment for security contexts.
- Apply due diligence for public and private security providers.
- Apply use-of-force principles and proportionality standards.
- Apply the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms.
- Apply the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights framework.
- Design community engagement and grievance mechanisms.
- Apply incident response, investigation, and reporting duties.
- Apply VPSHR implementation, assurance, and reporting practice.
Course Methodology
- Interactive sessions built on security and human rights case studies.
- Workshops on risk assessment, provider due diligence, and engagement planning.
- Group exercises on use-of-force scenarios, grievances, and incident response.
- Hands-on practice with risk registers, due diligence files, and grievance logs.
- Simulation of a community engagement meeting and an incident review.
- Facilitator coaching and peer review on personal implementation plans.
Who Should Take This Course
- Security managers and site security leads in extractive and industrial sectors.
- Human rights, sustainability, and social performance professionals.
- Legal, compliance, and governance professionals.
- Community relations and stakeholder engagement staff.
- Contract managers overseeing security providers.
- Consultants advising on VPSHR implementation and assurance.
Certified Program Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR) Course Outlines
The Voluntary Principles and Human Rights Context
- • Origin, purpose, and structure of the Voluntary Principles.
- • The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs).
- • International human rights standards relevant to security.
- • State obligations and corporate responsibilities.
- • Sector contexts: extractive, energy, and infrastructure.
- • Reputational, legal, and operational risk of failure.
- • Case discussion: a security incident that harmed a community.
Human Rights Risk Assessment
- • Risk assessment methodology for security and human rights.
- • Context analysis: conflict, governance, and community relations.
- • Identifying risks to people and to operations.
- • Stakeholder mapping and vulnerable group analysis.
- • Building and maintaining a human rights risk register.
- • Escalation thresholds and mitigation planning.
- • Workshop: conducting a human rights risk assessment.
Security Providers and Due Diligence
- • Public security forces and their role at sites.
- • Private security companies and contract structures.
- • Due diligence for security providers and vetting.
- • Contract clauses, memoranda of understanding, and expectations.
- • Training, briefing, and monitoring of security personnel.
- • Screening for past human rights violations.
- • Exercise: completing a security provider due diligence file.
Use of Force, Engagement, and Grievances
- • Use-of-force principles, necessity, and proportionality.
- • The UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms.
- • Rules of engagement and escalation protocols.
- • Detention, search, and property rights considerations.
- • Community engagement and stakeholder dialogue practice.
- • Grievance mechanisms and remedy design.
- • Simulation: responding to an incident and engaging the community.
Reporting, Assurance, and Implementation
- • Incident reporting, investigation, and confidential handling.
- • Reporting to communities, partners, and investors.
- • Governance of VPSHR implementation and accountability.
- • Internal audit, assurance, and third-party assessment.
- • Training programmes and awareness for personnel.
- • Continuous improvement and lessons learned.
- • Capstone: presenting a VPSHR implementation and assurance plan.
Conclusion
By successfully completing Certified Program Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR), participants will gain a practical command of the Voluntary Principles framework, human rights risk assessment, security provider due diligence, use-of-force standards, community engagement and grievance mechanisms, and incident reporting and assurance. They will acquire skills in risk assessment, provider vetting, engagement practice, and assurance reporting that protect both people and operations. Gentex Training Center designs the programme to help professionals implement the Voluntary Principles with confidence.
FAQs
— What is the "Certified Program Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR)" course about?
It prepares companies and security teams to protect people and operations at the same time. The course spans the Voluntary Principles and human rights context, human rights risk assessment, security providers and due diligence, use of force, engagement and grievances, and reporting, assurance and implementation.
— What are the key benefits of the "Certified Program Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR)" course?
You gain a practical, defensible method for VPSHR implementation that links the security a site needs with the rights of the people around it. The course improves risk assessment and provider due diligence, strengthens use-of-force and engagement understanding, sharpens grievance and incident handling, and gives you assurance reporting that stands up to partners and investors.
— What skills will I gain from the "Certified Program Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR)" course?
You will develop four core skills: human rights risk assessment with risk register building, security provider due diligence and contract oversight, use-of-force application with community engagement and grievance handling, and incident reporting with assurance and implementation governance.
— What tools, methods, or standards are covered in the "Certified Program Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR)" course?
The course covers the Voluntary Principles framework, purpose and structure, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), international human rights standards relevant to security, state obligations and corporate responsibilities, sector contexts in extractive, energy and infrastructure, reputational, legal and operational risk, human rights risk assessment methodology, context analysis for conflict, governance and community relations, stakeholder mapping and vulnerable group analysis, human rights risk registers, escalation thresholds and mitigation planning, public security forces and their role, private security companies and contract structures, provider due diligence and vetting, contract clauses and memoranda of understanding, training, briefing and monitoring of security personnel, screening for past human rights violations, use-of-force principles of necessity and proportionality, the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms, rules of engagement and escalation protocols, detention, search and property rights considerations, community engagement and stakeholder dialogue, grievance mechanisms and remedy design, incident reporting, investigation and confidential handling, reporting to communities, partners and investors, governance of implementation and accountability, internal audit and assurance and third-party assessment, and training programmes and continuous improvement.
— How is the "Certified Program Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights (VPSHR)" course applied in real-world practice?
Participants apply it to real work such as conducting a human rights risk assessment for a site, completing due diligence on a private security provider, reviewing contract clauses and rules of engagement, running a community engagement meeting, handling a grievance through to remedy, and preparing an incident report and assurance submission for partners. The same methods support internal audit of VPSHR implementation.
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